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The Week-Ender: Greg Laurie "many ways God could have come to us. "

There are many ways God could have come to us. He could have dropped visual images like photographs or paintings to describe what He wanted people to know.

Certainly God does speak to us, to some degree, through the testimony of nature. After all, Psalm 19:1 tells us, "The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship."

But God has chosen to primarily make Himself known to us through preaching. As the apostle Paul wrote, "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21)

Some of Paul's most emphatic words to Timothy were, "Preach the Word!" (2 Timothy 4:2).

When Paul spoke on Mars Hill in Athens, Greece, He could have used drama to make his points. After all, drama started there in Greece. He could have had someone present the gospel in "three acts," or have it put to music.

But he didn't do either of those things. Instead, he preached to them.

Music, drama, and the arts all have their place, but they are nowhere near the importance of the preaching and teaching of the Word of God.

I mentioned music earlier, and the early Church certainly placed a premium on the singing of praise and worship songs. But we must be careful to not "worship" worship!

I once saw one of those TV infomercials for a collection of worship songs, which I think is great in and of itself. But what disturbed me about this particular commercial was that they had what seemed to be "testimonies" of people who talked about how "worship music" had gotten them through hard times in their lives, and "worship music" had done this or that for them.

I know God can and will work through worship music, but it is God who works in our lives. Perhaps that is why Martin Luther called music the "handmaiden of theology."

Yes, worship has its place, but preaching still needs to be the priority of the Church today. I know this is true, not only because the Bible says it is, but also from personal experience.

I have had the privilege of teaching for more than 35 years in many places, ranging from great stadiums and arenas to small home Bible studies. I can tell you that it is God's Word preached that touches lives.

Trust me when I say that the last thing I ever wanted to become was a preacher. I was a cartoonist, a graphic designer. That was all I ever wanted to do. I was never a speaker in school. In fact, I dreaded speaking publicly.

But the first time I had the privilege of preaching the gospel, I saw the power of God at work. My life was touched by the teaching and preaching of God's Word, and I still am. I love to listen to preaching, and I listen to sermons and messages from different pastors all the time.

The arts have their place. Thank God for Christian musicians, designers, tech people, and all the rest. I love the arts and people who are gifted in this way. I count myself as one of them.

But one thing will never change: "It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."

WeekEnd Edition

This material was brought to you by The WeekEnder and Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. The WeekEnd Edition Digest, is a ministry of  Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity and Michael James Stone. It is an aggragate of  materials selected from the Internet and materials provided by Authors and Readers. Though often Christian in nature, the materials are subjective and do not necessarily reflect the views of  Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity or anone associated with.

 

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The WeekEnder supplies News and Views by the Readers and Authors from posts reviewed the previous week.  WeekEndEdition@michaeljamesstone.com

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This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to understand scripture, news, technology and society especially as it relates to God and Jesus. It is specifically for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site. Nor is any implied reciprocal gratuities implied or construed.

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LastCall: Job's Reflections -WoW The Big Picture

Job's Reflections

Job 28:1-29:20; Psalm 17:6-8; Proverbs 4:18-19

Surely there is a mine for silver,
And a place were gold is refined.
Iron is taken from the earth,
And copper is smelted from ore.


Man puts an end to darkness,
And searches every recess
For ore in the darkness and the shadow of death.
He breaks open a shaft away from people;
In places forgotten by feet
They hang far away from men;
They swing to and fro.


As for the earth, from it comes bread,
But underneath it is turned up as by fire;
Its stones are the source of sapphires,
And it contains gold dust.


That path no bird knows,
Nor has the falcon's eye seen it.
The proud lions have not trodden it,
Nor has the fierce lion passed over it.
He puts his hand on the flint;
He overturns the mountains at the roots.


He cuts out channels in the rocks,
And his eye sees every precious thing.
He dams up the streams from trickling;
What is hidden he brings forth to light.


"But where can wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
Man does not know its value,
Nor is it found in the land of the living.


The deep says, 'It is not in me';
And the sea says, 'It is not with me.'
It cannot be purchased for gold,
Nor can silver be weighed for its price.


It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
In precious onyx or sapphire.
Neither gold nor crystal can equal it,
Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold.


No mention shall be made of coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above rubies.


The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it,
Nor can it be valued in pure gold.


"From where then does wisdom come?
And where is the place of understanding?
It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
And concealed from the birds of the air.


Destruction and Death say,
'We have heard a report about it with our ears.'
God understands its way,
And He knows its place.
For He looks to the ends of the earth,
And sees under the whole heavens,
To establish a weight for the wind,
And apportion the waters by measure.


When He made a law for the rain,
And a path for the thunderbolt,
Then He saw wisdom and declared it;
He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out.


And to man He said,
'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.'"


Job further continued his discourse, and said:
"Oh, that I were as in months past,
As in the days when God watched over me;
When His lamp shone upon my head,
And when by His light I walked through darkness;
Just as I was in the days of my prime,
When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;
When the Almighty was yet with me,
When my children were around me;
When my steps were bathed with cream,
And the rock poured out rivers of oil for me!


"When I went out to the gate by the city,
When I took my seat in the open square,
The young men saw me and hid,
And the aged arose and stood;
The princes refrained from talking,
And put their hand on their mouth;
The voice of nobles was hushed,
And their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth.


When the ear heard, then it blessed me,
And when the eye saw, then it approved me;
Because I delivered the poor who cried out,
The fatherless and the one who had no helper.


The blessing of a perishing man came upon me,
And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a turban.


I was eyes to the blind,
And I was feet to the lame.
I was a father to the poor,
And I searched out the case that I did not know.
I broke the fangs of the wicked,
And plucked the victim from his teeth.


"Then I said, 'I shall die in my nest,
And multiply my days as the sand.
My root is spread out to the waters,
And the dew lies all night on my branch.


My glory is fresh within me,
And my bow is renewed in my hand.'"
Job 28:1-29:20

WORSHIP

I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.
Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
>From those who rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.
Psalm 17:6-8

WISDOM

But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.
Proverbs 4:18-19

Last Call Digest

This material was brought to you by Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. Last Call Digest, is a ministry of Michael James Stone, volunteers, and people dedicated to the Love of God and Salvation of Souls. It is an aggragate of Christian Material selected to Bless you and Prepare you for each and every day you read them. May God Bless You as You Do!! Reading these Devotions will help you to prepare daily for life, living, and your Lord. You will hear God Speak To You thru them.  Jesus  is Coming Very Soon.

Last Call        

Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity, operates by you, with you, and for you. “Freely you have received, freely give”  Pass this on, everywhere you can, anytime you can, anyway you can. You will be blessed if you do.LastCallDigest@michaeljamesstone.com

Last Call Journal

Fair Use Notice

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work herein is archived under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to understand scripture, news, technology and society especially as it relates to God and Jesus. It is specifically for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site. Nor is any implied reciprocal gratuities implied or construed.

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LastCall: When God Said ‘Do Not Judge’ What Did He Mean? -Kay Arthur

PRECEPTS FOR LIFE

a Production of

Precept Ministries International

P.O. Box 182218, Chattanooga, TN 37422-7218

1-888-734-7707/ www.preceptsforlife.com

The following is an actual transcript of the PRECEPTS FOR LIFE Broadcast. For the purpose of filling transcript requests quickly, they have received only light editing. If you have questions concerning the material covered in this broadcast, Kay has published a number of books explaining the Scripture in depth. These books may be ordered by contacting the telephone number or address printed above.

 

SERIES: Sermon On The Mount

TITLE: Program 10 – When God Said ‘Do Not Judge’ What Did He Mean?     

FRIDAY (1/29/10)

          

OPEN 

Let me ask you a question. Are you concerned about a loved one because they say that they‟re a Christian? And yet you look at their life and you say, but I don‟t see any evidence in your life.” What is going on? How do we understand these things? Well Jesus taught on these things and you and I can know without a shadow of a doubt whether a person is going to heaven or not according to the way they live, according to the works they do. We‟ll see it today.

 

PART ONE

You know as I sit here on the Mount of Beatitudes with the Sea of Galilee in my back and the sun setting, my heart is already lonely. Lonely because we‟re going to leave this place because we‟re finished with the Sermon on the Mount. But as we looked at this sermon what riches it has brought to our lives as we have sat with Jesus, as we have listened to His teaching, as we

have seen the character of those that belong to the kingdom of heaven. As we have seen how they live and the blessings that are theirs.

We know also that He has shown us the conflict. The persecution that comes because of His name‟s sake. We‟ve also seen the conduct, but He says to us it‟s not just a matter of fulfilling the letter of the Law but it‟s fulfilling the intent of the Law. Having the love that is behind the Law and conducting ourselves in that way in this world and with our fellow man. And then we come to Matthew chapter 6 and in Matthew chapter 6 we see His concerns, His cautions. Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be seen of them. And then in chapter 6, in verse 19 we begin to see His commands. He tells them to not lay up treasures on earth and He tells them also that they‟re not to be anxious.

And then we come to another do not and that‟s in chapter 7. And it‟s a do not that the world seems to know. I mean they don‟t know any verse from the Bible but they know this one and it says, (Matthew 7:1) “Do not judge lest you be judged,” yourselves. He says, (Matthew 7:2-3) “For in the way that you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother‟s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:4)

“Or how can you say to your brother, „Let me take the speck out of your eye,‟ and behold, the log is in your eye?” He says, (Matthew 7:5) “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother‟s eye.” What is He saying here? We know the first verse do not judge lest you shall be judged.

And we say, “Okay, it is not right for me to tell anyone whether they are saved or whether they are lost. It is not right for me to tell anyone whether this is right or whether this is wrong. I mean, after all, it‟s a matter of opinion.” That‟s not what this passage is saying. Because if you did your homework, if you‟re studying along with me and studying this Precept Upon Precept or if you‟ve gotten the book Lord, I‟m Torn Between Two Masters then you know as you study these books that there are many things that you and I are to judge.

As a

matter of fact as we go through this 7th chapter, we‟re going to see some things that require judgment. So He‟s not condemning judgment but He‟s saying listen, in your judgment I don‟t want you to damage your brother. So what He‟s saying is make sure your heart is right. Make sure that you‟re life is right. Make sure that you‟re attitude is pleasing to God. Make sure that you have this character that I‟ve talked about. Make sure that you‟re meek. Make sure that you mourn over sin. Make sure that you are pure in heart. Make sure that you are merciful. Make sure that you are hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

Make sure that these things are strong in your life and make sure that there‟s nothing in your life that is going to keep you from seeing clearly to help your brother get the speck out of his eye. So He‟s not saying that you cannot judge and that becomes obvious with verse 6. He says, (Matthew 7:6) “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

Now listen, what He‟s saying is this. That there are certain people that are just in direct rebellion to God and are not going to listen and are not going to believe and He says don‟t just keep casting those things before them because they‟re going to turn and they‟re going to tear at you to pieces. So that‟s another command that He gives and then we come to the next verse to verse 7 of Matthew chapter 7. And He says, “Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and you shall find; and knock, and it shall be opened to you.” He says what do you need? He says all you have to do is ask.

All you have to do is seek. All you have to do is knock and He‟s not saying just knock one time. He‟s saying you can come and you can ask me anytime you want and it shall be given to you. He says, (Matthew 7:8) “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.” He says, (Matthew 7:9-10) “…What man is there among you, when his son will ask him for a loaf, he‟ll give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake? He says, (Matthew 7:11)

Reason with Me. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your

children, how much more shall your Father who‟s in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” What is He saying?

Heaven belongs to you.

You‟re a son of God.

You‟re going to see God. Now, if that is your relationship with God is God not going to take care of you? Is He not going to provide? So all you have to do is ask. All you have to do is seek. All you have to do is knock and you will receive because your heavenly Father is of the character and the type that wants to meet all your needs. Do you realize that no other faith offers man such an intimate relationship with God as the one and only true faith? And what is the one and only true faith? It is the faith in Jesus Christ. He is our access. He is our source.

Well He goes on to tell us we are to treat others the way that we want to be treated and when we do that we‟re fulfilling this Law. Remember Jesus said that the Law will be fulfilled. That Jesus came to fulfill the Law not to destroy it. And so when you and I act in this love then you and I will certainly be like our Father who‟s in heaven and like our Savior and we will fulfill the Law and the prophets. As Jesus brings His teaching to a conclusion in verse 13, He begins a set of contrasts and in those contrasts He shows us that there are only 2 options all the way through. With Jesus there‟s no middle ground. Listen to what He has to say. He says, (Matthew 7:13-14)

“Enter in by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few there are who find it.” There are two ways. One way leads to life, the other way leads to death. One gate is wide, and the other one is narrow. Which way are you taking, Beloved? You see as He brings this teaching to a conclusion, He challenges us again to examine our hearts.

Yes, we know that this is what belongs to those who are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. But we need to make sure that we‟re on the right path. Even in 2 Corinthians Paul challenges them. He calls them Christians. He says I know that you‟re believers. I know that you have the gifts of the Holy Spirit but examine yourselves. Make sure that you‟re really

in the faith.

And we need to examine ourselves and how do we examine ourselves? Well first of all we see this contrast of the two gates, the two ways. And then He says, (Matthew 7:15-20) “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep‟s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Even so, every good tree,” now watch the contrast, “bears good fruit; but the bad tree,” bad fruit.

“A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” In other words how am I going to spot a false prophet?

I‟m going to evaluate that false prophet‟s life and I‟m going to evaluate it by the fruit that they produce. What is their life like? And so He gives you the contrast of two trees. A good tree always produces good fruit. In other words the root system determines the fruit. What is the fruit of your life like? And what is the fruit of those that come to you and are saying, “Lord, Lord”?

What is the fruit of their life? Well He goes on to say this. He says, (Matthew 21) “Not everyone who says to Me, „Lord, Lord,‟ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” And did you hear that? He says, “Not everyone who says to me, „Lord, Lord‟….”

In other words they‟re saying Jesus is Lord. But He‟s saying not all of them are really going to go to heaven. The ones that are going to go to heaven are the ones that do the will of God. He says, (Matthew 7:22-23) “Many will say to Me on that day, „Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?‟

And then I will declare to them,” listen carefully, “„I never knew you….‟” Have you got it? Underline it. I never knew you. He says, (Matthew 7:23) “…DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.‟” Now there‟s a very important verb there and that verb is practice lawlessness. In other words this is your habit of life. Remember when we opened this program we were talking about concern for

people.

Concern for people that say, “Listen, I know that I‟m going to heaven. I walked an aisle. I joined a church. I prayed a prayer or I gave my money and look, I‟m all right. It‟s okay with me and the man upstairs. It‟s all right. Leave me alone.” We‟re going to look at it when we come back and when we look at it it‟s going to help you understand, my friend, how a person can know whether or not they really belong to the kingdom of heaven. 

 

PART TWO

And then you say, “But I‟m concerned about you.” And then they turn around and say, “Hey, wait a minute. You‟re judging.” Well listen, you can judge and the way that you can discern the validity of someone‟s life is by the contrast of the way that they live. Are they doing good deeds? Are they doing the will of God or are they doing evil deeds? Are they practicing lawlessness rather than practicing righteousness? Now remember what the Sermon on the Mount is all about. Remember He‟s telling them that only those that hunger and thirst after righteousness will be satisfied. And He‟s saying that your righteousness and my righteousness has to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees.

Well the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees was an external righteousness without an internal reality and both have to be there. So it‟s not just what you say with your mouth but its how are you living? How are you living? So He goes on to give us a very important illustration and once again we see the contrast. He says in verse 24, (Matthew 7:24) “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them….”

Now this is absolutely critical. You hear and you act upon them. He says, (Matthew 7:24b-25) “…May be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.” Now listen. On this Mount of Beatitudes and we‟re not exactly sure which mount

it was. This is the one that we think it was. It doesn‟t matter it was on a mount that He brought this beautiful, beautiful teaching. But on this Mount of Beatitudes there are many huge rocks; many huge boulders and then they‟re other places where there is just dirt. There is just sand.

He says the wise man, the man that builds his house is a man that builds his house on a rock so that when the rains come and the floods descend that house holds, and that house holds because it was built on a rock. Now, contrast. Look at the contrast. He says, (Matthew 7:26) “…Everyone who hears these words of Mine, and,” and this is critical, “does not act upon them….” You know what this is like? This is like the first 3 soils in the parable of the sower.

The Word is sown but there‟s no fruit that comes from the sowing of that Word. No fruit at all. In other words you hear but it doesn‟t change your life. Or it changes your life but the change doesn‟t last. It‟s just temporary and when persecution comes you‟re gone. Or when the worries of this world or the anxieties of life or the desire for other things come in and choke out the Word, there‟s no fruit.

And what He‟s saying here is look, the man that builds his house on the sand is the man who hears but does not act, does not produce that good fruit. And it says, (Matthew 7:26b-27) he “…Does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.” The contrast, the contrast.

It‟s the contrast that shows you whether these are people that truly have the character of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. If they have the character of a true disciple of Jesus Christ then they‟re going to experience the conflict because the conflict comes because it is given to us not only to believe on Jesus but also to suffer for His name‟s sake. All who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. And then comes the conduct, the conduct. The conduct that goes beyond just the letter of the Law. Just beyond your own righteousness to a righteousness of the heart to a purity of heart that is going to see and look at God.

O Precious One, what happened

when Jesus finished this message? It says (Matthew 7:28-29) and “The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching;” why, “for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” He taught them as one having authority.

Listen. It was the authority of God. It was the authority of God and if you‟re a wise person, you‟ll listen to what He had to say. I want you to go for just a quick minute to Luke chapter 11. And in Luke chapter 11, in verse 27 this is what it says. “And it came about when He had finished saying these things, that one of the women in the crowd raised her voice, and said to Him, „Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts at which You nursed.‟

But He said, „On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe it.‟”

This wasn‟t one statement that He made one time. When Jesus taught many, many times He would come down and bring their attention to this. The attention, the question is this. You‟ve heard My words, are you doing them? You‟re saying blessed is the woman that bore me. Blessed is the woman that nursed me and I‟m saying even that, even that is not sufficient to get you to heaven. It‟s not a birth relationship of a familial relationship. No. It‟s a relationship of understanding that I am God and that I am the Son of God and that you are to obey Me. These are the words of God and if you want to have eternal life then, my friend, you must hear my words and you must act on them. You know, as I sit here the sun is going down.

The evening is coming. It‟s late in the day and I want to tell you right now that it‟s late, it‟s late in time. Jesus is coming soon.

Someday we‟re going to meet Him face to face.

He‟s coming and His reward is with Him to give to every man according to his deeds. If He were to come today, would He take you home with Him or if you were to die, would you be absent from the body and present with the Lord?

The only way, the only way that you can know without a shadow of a doubt that you would be with Him is to know that yes, I would be because my life proves that I have believed. And I‟m sitting at the Mount of Beatitudes and as I sit here I want to ask you a

question, do you feel like your life might lack purpose?

Do you feel like you‟re not contributing much to the kingdom of Heaven?

It was on this mount that Jesus made this statement, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.”

My friend, if you‟re sensing a lack of destiny, a lack of purpose, have you ever thought about coming to Israel? Have you ever thought about studying God‟s book in God‟s land? Why don‟t you call your pastor and say, “Pastor, take a group of us to Israel.” Or why don‟t you call your Christian radio station or your television station and say, “Take a group of us to Israel.” I want to experience the Book in the land of the Book.

I want a fresh breath of air in my life and I know I can get it in the land of the Book because there‟s no other place in this world like the land of Israel.

Last Call Digest

This material was brought to you by Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. Last Call Digest, is a ministry of Michael James Stone, volunteers, and people dedicated to the Love of God and Salvation of Souls. It is an aggragate of Christian Material selected to Bless you and Prepare you for each and every day you read them. May God Bless You as You Do!! Reading these Devotions will help you to prepare daily for life, living, and your Lord. You will hear God Speak To You thru them.  Jesus  is Coming Very Soon.

Last Call        

Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity, operates by you, with you, and for you. “Freely you have received, freely give”  Pass this on, everywhere you can, anytime you can, anyway you can. You will be blessed if you do.LastCallDigest@michaeljamesstone.com

Last Call Journal

Fair Use Notice

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work herein is archived under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to understand scripture, news, technology and society especially as it relates to God and Jesus. It is specifically for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site. Nor is any implied reciprocal gratuities implied or construed.

Posted via email from The Last Call Digest

LastCall: The New Covenant: Grace, Not Law -Bob Hoekstra

The New Covenant: Grace, Not Law

"I will make a new covenant…not according to the covenant I made"…the gospel of the grace of God. (Jeremiah 31:31-32 and Acts 20:24)

The old covenant of law was the covenant that God made with Israel "in the day that [He] took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt" (Jeremiah 31:32b). The promise through Jeremiah was that the Lord would make a different type of covenant some day, "not according to [that] covenant."

This new covenant would be a covenant of grace, provided by the Lord Jesus Christ. "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).

The law of God was an impossible way to relate to the Lord. It required perfection, but it offered no perfecting assistance. It was able, however, to convince people of their need for the grace of Christ found in the new covenant. "The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ" (Galatians 3:24).

Now, we live and proclaim this new covenant of grace, the "new and living way which He consecrated for us" (Hebrews 10:20). This was the mission and message of which the Apostle Paul spoke. "The ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). The gospel is all about the grace of God, not about law. "The word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you…the grace of God" (Colossians 1:5-6).

Gospel means "glad tidings," or "good news." The good news of the grace of God provided through Jesus Christ is the supreme message for man in all of creation. In fact, the gospel of grace is such good news that some unbelievers initially reject it as "too good to be true."

Indeed, it is an astounding reality to consider that forgiveness, justification, and new birth are all available "by grace…through faith…the gift of God, not of works" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Perhaps, we should not be surprised that we believers sometimes react in this same manner when we consider the message of grace for growth and sanctification. To hear that the entire Christian life is to be "grace upon grace" (John 1:16) may at first seem to us "too good to be true."

At times we may ask, "Isn't there any human responsibility in God's plan of salvation?" Yes, there is. The saved and unsaved alike must always be willing to respond to the offer of God's grace in Christ. We must all relate properly to the Lord Jesus for every work of grace, because it is "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 8:9). In all matters, we must seek Him and trust in Him.

Lord God of the new covenant, how glorious is the good news of Your grace! I praise You for Your patience when I act as though transforming grace is too good to be true. I want to seek after the Lord Jesus and trust in Him this day, with all my heart, Amen.

Last Call Digest

This material was brought to you by Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. Last Call Digest, is a ministry of Michael James Stone, volunteers, and people dedicated to the Love of God and Salvation of Souls. It is an aggragate of Christian Material selected to Bless you and Prepare you for each and every day you read them. May God Bless You as You Do!! Reading these Devotions will help you to prepare daily for life, living, and your Lord. You will hear God Speak To You thru them.  Jesus  is Coming Very Soon.

Last Call        

Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity, operates by you, with you, and for you. “Freely you have received, freely give”  Pass this on, everywhere you can, anytime you can, anyway you can. You will be blessed if you do.LastCallDigest@michaeljamesstone.com

Last Call Journal

Fair Use Notice

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work herein is archived under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to understand scripture, news, technology and society especially as it relates to God and Jesus. It is specifically for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site. Nor is any implied reciprocal gratuities implied or construed.

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LastCall: The voice of the LORD -Bob Coy

WOW!

The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. -Psalm 29:4 (NKJV)

Many of the Psalms are just an extended and eloquent way of saying "WOW!" Psalm 29 is one such Psalm. It looks at a particular aspect of this great God we serve-His voice-and leaves us in such a state of awe and amazement that the only real response we can exclaim is "Glory!" That's a biblical way of saying "Wow!"

An ear-splitting, heart-stopping thunderclap that rolls and reverberates from horizon to horizon...the unrelenting force of a hurricane that strips the very skin off of the proudest trees...an earthquake that shatters the strongest foundations of the world... they're all mere whispers of the might and majesty of God's voice.

Couple this with the reality that we're steeped in a society where so many people are struggling and striving to have their voices heard. Our eyes and ears are constantly being ambushed by talking heads, spin doctors, and flavor-of-the-month pundits who are fighting for market share when it comes to our attention. No expense is spared in getting us to listen to their opinions and to hopefully adopt them. There's no void of voices in our world today.

But the voice of the Lord drowns them all. The voice of the Lord is powerful and full of majesty. It rises above anything we could ever speak or say. It shakes the ground we walk on and splits the sky we live beneath. God's voice can't be censored or tamed any more than a volatile volcano in full-fury can be silenced. When God wants to be heard, He is, and the only reasonable response is "Glory!"

What does this passage reveal to me about God?

What does this passage reveal to me about myself?

Based on this, what changes do I need to make?

What is my prayer for today? 

Last Call Digest

This material was brought to you by Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. Last Call Digest, is a ministry of Michael James Stone, volunteers, and people dedicated to the Love of God and Salvation of Souls. It is an aggragate of Christian Material selected to Bless you and Prepare you for each and every day you read them. May God Bless You as You Do!! Reading these Devotions will help you to prepare daily for life, living, and your Lord. You will hear God Speak To You thru them.  Jesus  is Coming Very Soon.

Last Call        

Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity, operates by you, with you, and for you. “Freely you have received, freely give”  Pass this on, everywhere you can, anytime you can, anyway you can. You will be blessed if you do.LastCallDigest@michaeljamesstone.com

Last Call Journal

Fair Use Notice

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work herein is archived under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to understand scripture, news, technology and society especially as it relates to God and Jesus. It is specifically for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site. Nor is any implied reciprocal gratuities implied or construed.

Posted via email from The Last Call Digest

40 Days: Day Eleven -Rick Warren

Becoming Best Friends

with God

 

Since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life. Romans 5:10 (NLT)

God wants to be your best friend.

Your relationship to God has many different aspects: God is your Creator and Maker, Lord and Master, Judge, Redeemer, Father, Savior, and much more.' But the most shocking truth is this: Almighty God yearns to be your Friend!

In Eden we see God's ideal relationship with us: Adam and Eve enjoyed an intimate friendship with God. There were no rituals, ceremonies, or religion-just a simple loving relationship between God and the people he created. Unhindered by guilt or fear, Adam and Eve delighted in God, and he delighted in them.

We were made to live in God's continual presence, but after the Fall, that ideal relationship was lost. Only a few people in Old Testament times had the privilege of friendship with God. Moses and Abraham were called "friends of God," David was called "a man after [God's] own heart," and job, Enoch, and Noah had intimate friendships with God. But fear of God, not friendship, was more common in the Old Testament.

Then Jesus changed the situation. When he paid for our sins on the cross, the veil in the temple that symbolized our separation from God was split from top to bottom, indicating that direct access to God was once again available.

Unlike the Old Testament priests who had to spend hours preparing to meet him, we can now approach God anytime. The Bible says, "Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God-all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God."

Friendship with God is possible only because of the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. "All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends."  The old hymn says, "What a friend we have in Jesus," but actually, God invites us to enjoy friendship and fellowship with all three persons of the Trinity: our Father,' the Son,6 and the Holy Spirit.'

Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” The word for friend in this verse does not mean a casual acquaintance but a close, trusted relationship. The same word is used to refer to the best man at a wedding and a king's inner circle of intimate, trusted friends. In royal courts, servants must keep their distance from the king, but the inner circle of trusted friends enjoy close contact, direct access, and confidential information.

That God would want me for a close friend is hard to understand, but the Bible says, "He is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you.'

God deeply desires that we know him intimately. In fact, he planned the universe and orchestrated history, including the details of our lives, so that we could become his friends. The Bible says,

"He made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him."

Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege, and being known and loved is God's greatest pleasure. God says, "If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me.... These are the things that please me."

It's difficult to imagine how an intimate friendship is possible between an omnipotent, invisible, perfect God and a finite, sinful human being. It's easier to understand a Master-servant relationship or a Creator-creation relationship or even Father-child. But what does it mean when God wants me as a friend? By looking at the lives of God's friends in the Bible, we learn six secrets of friendship with God. We will look at two secrets in this chapter and four more in the next.

BECOMING A BEST FRIEND OF GOD

Through constant conversation. You will never grow a close relationship with God by just attending church once a week or even having a daily quiet time. Friendship with God is built by sharing all your life experiences with him.

Of course, it is important to establish the habit of a daily devotional time with God, but he wants more than an appointment in your schedule. He wants to be included in every activity, every conversation, every problem, and even every thought. You can carry on a continuous, open-ended conversation with him throughout your day, talking with him about whatever you are doing or thinking at that moment. "Praying without ceasing" means conversing with God while shopping, driving, working, or performing any other everyday tasks.

 

Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege,

and being known and loved is God's greatest pleasure.

 

A common misconception is that "spending time with God" means being alone with him. Of course, as Jesus modeled, you need time alone with God, but that is only a fraction of your waking hours. Everything you do can be "spending time with God" if he is invited to be a part of it and you stay aware of his presence.

The classic book on learning how to develop a constant conversation with God is Practicing the Presence of God. It was written in the seventeenth century by Brother Lawrence, a humble cook in a French monastery. Brother Lawrence was able to turn even the most commonplace and menial tasks, like preparing meals and washing dishes, into acts of praise and communion with God. The key to friendship with God, he said, is not changing what you do, but changing your attitude toward what you do. What you normally do for yourself you begin doing for God, whether it is eating, bathing, working, relaxing, or taking out the trash.

Today we often feel we must "get away" from our daily routine in order to worship God, but that is only because we haven't learned to practice his presence all the time. Brother Lawrence found it easy to worship God through the common tasks of life; he didn't have to go away for special spiritual retreats.

This is God's ideal. In Eden, worship was not an event to attend, but a perpetual attitude; Adam and Eve were in constant communion with God. Because God is with you all the time, no place is any closer to God than the place where you are right now. The Bible says, "He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything."

Another of Brother Lawrence's helpful ideas was to pray shorter conversational prayers continually through the day rather than trying to pray long sessions of complex prayers. To maintain focus and counteract wandering thoughts, he said, "I do not advise you to use a great multiplicity of words in prayer, since long discourses are often the occasions for wandering." In an age of attention deficit, this 450-year-old suggestion to keep it simple seems to be particularly relevant.

The Bible tells us to `pray all the time.” How is it possible to do this? One way is to use "breath prayers" throughout the day, as many Christians have done for centuries. You choose a brief sentence or a simple phrase that can be repeated to Jesus in one breath: "You are with me." "I receive your grace." "I'm depending on you." "I want to know you." "I belong to you." "Help me trust you." You can also use a short phrase of Scripture: "For me to live is Christ." "You will never leave me." "You are my God." Pray it as often as possible so it is rooted deep in your heart. Just be sure that your motive is to honor God, not control him.

Practicing the presence of God is a skill, a habit you can develop. Just as musicians practice scales every day in order to play beautiful music with ease, you must force yourself to think about God at different times in your day. You must train your mind to remember God.

At first you will need to create reminders to regularly bring your thoughts back to the awareness that God is with you in that moment. Begin by placing visual reminders around you. You might post little notes that say, "God is with me and for me right now!" Benedictine monks use the hourly chimes of a clock to remind them to pause and pray "the hour prayer." If you have a watch or cell phone with an alarm, you could do the same. Sometimes you will sense God's presence; other times you won't.

If you are seeking an experience of his presence through all of this, you have missed the point. We don't praise God to feel good, but to do good. Your goal is not a feeling, but a continual awareness of the reality that God is always present. That is the lifestyle of worship.

 

Everything you do can be "spending time with God" if he is invited to be apart of it and you stay aware of his presence.

Through continual meditation. A second way to establish a friendship with God is by thinking about his Word throughout your day. This is called meditation, and the Bible repeatedly urges us to meditate on who God is, what he has done, and what he has said."

     It is impossible to be God's friend apart from knowing what he says. You can't love God unless you know him, and you can't know him without knowing his Word. The Bible says God "revealed himself to Samuel through his word."  God still uses that method today.

While you cannot spend all day studying the Bible, you can think about it throughout the day, recalling verses you have read or memorized and mulling them over in your mind.

Meditation is often misunderstood as some difficult, mysterious ritual practiced by isolated monks and mystics. But meditation is simply focused thinking-a skill anyone can learn and use anywhere.

When you think about a problem over and over in your mind, that's called worry. When you think about God's Word over and over in your mind, that's meditation. If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate! You just need to switch your attention from your problems to Bible verses. The more you meditate on God's Word, the less you will have to worry about.

The reason God considered Job and David his close friends was that they valued his Word above everything else, and they thought about it continually throughout the day. Job admitted, "I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.' 2° David said, "Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long." "They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them. "

Friends share secrets, and God will share his secrets with you if you develop the habit of thinking about his Word throughout the day. God told Abraham his secrets, and he did the same with Daniel, Paul, the disciples, and other friends.

When you read your Bible or hear a sermon or listen to a tape, don't just forget it and walk away. Develop the practice of reviewing the truth in your mind, thinking about it over and over. The more time you spend reviewing what God has said, the more you will understand the "secrets" of this life that most people miss. The Bible says, "Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone he shares the secrets of his promises."

In the next chapter we will see four more secrets of cultivating a friendship with God, but don't wait until tomorrow. Start today by practicing constant conversation with God and continual meditation on his Word. Prayer lets you speak to God; meditation lets God speak to you. Both are essential to becoming a friend of God.

DAY ELEVEN THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE

Point to Ponder: God wants to be my best friend.

Verse to Remember: "Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him." Psalm 25:14a (LB)

Question to Consider: What can I do to remind myself to think about God and talk to him more often throughout the day?

Last Call Digest

This material was brought to you by Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. Last Call Digest, is a ministry of Michael James Stone, volunteers, and people dedicated to the Love of God and Salvation of Souls. It is an aggragate of Christian Material selected to Bless you and Prepare you for each and every day you read them. May God Bless You as You Do!! Reading these Devotions will help you to prepare daily for life, living, and your Lord. You will hear God Speak To You thru them.  Jesus  is Coming Very Soon.

Last Call        

Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity, operates by you, with you, and for you. “Freely you have received, freely give”  Pass this on, everywhere you can, anytime you can, anyway you can. You will be blessed if you do.LastCallDigest@michaeljamesstone.com

Last Call Journal

Fair Use Notice

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work herein is archived under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to understand scripture, news, technology and society especially as it relates to God and Jesus. It is specifically for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site. Nor is any implied reciprocal gratuities implied or construed.

Posted via email from The Last Call Digest

LastCall: Celebrating Tu B'Shevat (Jewish New Year for Trees) -H4C

Last Call Digest

This material was brought to you by Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. Last Call Digest, is a ministry of Michael James Stone, volunteers, and people dedicated to the Love of God and Salvation of Souls. It is an aggragate of Christian Material selected to Bless you and Prepare you for each and every day you read them. May God Bless You as You Do!! Reading these Devotions will help you to prepare daily for life, living, and your Lord. You will hear God Speak To You thru them.  Jesus  is Coming Very Soon.

Last Call        

Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity, operates by you, with you, and for you. “Freely you have received, freely give”  Pass this on, everywhere you can, anytime you can, anyway you can. You will be blessed if you do.LastCallDigest@michaeljamesstone.com

Last Call Journal

Fair Use Notice

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work herein is archived under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to understand scripture, news, technology and society especially as it relates to God and Jesus. It is specifically for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site. Nor is any implied reciprocal gratuities implied or construed.

Posted via email from The Last Call Digest

LastCall: Why would God "harden Pharaoh's heart"? -Mike MacIntosh

And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 7:3

Why would God "harden Pharaoh's heart"?  Wouldn't that make Him a "cruel" God, if He would show such callousness to an individual?  No, we must understand that God is a gracious, loving God -- even to Pharaoh.

That word "harden" literally means "to stiffen."  A lump of clay, sitting on a table, will become stiff if left alone.  It needs a potter; it needs hydration.  And just as that clay needs water to keep from becoming hard, so we, as people, need the grace of God to keep our hearts pliable.  Except by the grace of God, we would all be "filled with all unrighteousness," and given over to a "reprobate heart" (Romans 1:28).  We would all have hardened, sin-stained hearts without Christ because, as Romans 3:23 says, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

You see, Pharaoh was like the clay on the table, left all to itself, without water to keep it pliable, or a potter to give it shape.  He watched the Lord do wonder after wonder through Moses, and yet he still rejected God, so his heart became hard.  He didn't want anything to do with God, so God pulled away.

Notice the Bible never says that God didn't love Pharaoh.  Quite the opposite! If God didn't love Pharaoh, He wouldn't have given Pharaoh the opportunity to reject Him.  If God were a cruel God, He would have forced Pharaoh to obey Him, like a dictator forces his subjects to heed his every word. 

Instead, God allowed Pharaoh to make his own decision.  And not only did God honor the decision, He actually used it for His glory.  "For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth'" (Romans 9:17).

God allows us to make our own decisions. He loves us with an unyielding love, and He will honor our choices. We can choose to let the Lord mold and shape us -- like a potter with clay -- or we can refuse.  If we refuse, we are like the untouched clay that sits on the table and becomes hardened. 

But if we will allow Him to do His work in us, He will be faithful to "complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).  For better or worse, He will be glorified. Hebrews 3:7 says, "Today, if you will hear His voice, do no harden your hearts..."  Let the Lord's grace be the water that keeps your heart pliable.

Last Call Digest

This material was brought to you by Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity. Last Call Digest, is a ministry of Michael James Stone, volunteers, and people dedicated to the Love of God and Salvation of Souls. It is an aggragate of Christian Material selected to Bless you and Prepare you for each and every day you read them. May God Bless You as You Do!! Reading these Devotions will help you to prepare daily for life, living, and your Lord. You will hear God Speak To You thru them.  Jesus  is Coming Very Soon.

Last Call        

Broadcast(B.C.)Christianity, operates by you, with you, and for you. “Freely you have received, freely give”  Pass this on, everywhere you can, anytime you can, anyway you can. You will be blessed if you do.LastCallDigest@michaeljamesstone.com

Last Call Journal

Fair Use Notice

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, any copyrighted work herein is archived under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only.

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.
The material is being made available in an effort to understand scripture, news, technology and society especially as it relates to God and Jesus. It is specifically for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. This is a completely non-commercial site for private personal use. No fee is charged, and no money is made off of the operation of this site. Nor is any implied reciprocal gratuities implied or construed.

Posted via email from The Last Call Digest

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